COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY FOR ADDICTION TREATMENT

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for addiction treatment, is also referred to as Cognitive Behaviour therapy(CBT). It is a type of therapy which involves talk, hinged on the psychological ideas of behaviourism, which refers to the way people’s behaviours can either be modified or controlled.

It also involves the cognition theories, which focuses on how people feel, understand one another, and think, with the world around them. Behaviourism places focus on the actions and behaviours of a person.

Cognitive Behavioural therapy is a variant of behaviour therapy, which checks the behaviour of a person via positive and negative emphasis. It could also be with either punishments and rewards with the behaviours which the person either wants to drop or continue with.

Addiction is a well-defined feature of a behavioural pattern which is against what the person is experiencing. You will find people saying they want to quit a certain addictive behaviour, and they find themselves struggling to do so, because it is very difficult.

Based on the Cognitive Behavioural therapy approach, it has been studied that some addictive behaviours which includes drug abuse, alcohol abuse, gambling addiction, video game addiction, food addiction, shopping addiction and the likes, are due to inaccurately processed thoughts, and negative feelings.

Psychologists have stated that, a good number of us have thoughts which are hinged on some beliefs which are not true, unrealistic and impossible to keep up with.

Hence, these thoughts usually result in negative feelings which fuel depression, anxiety and addiction as well. By automatically taking note of our thoughts and related feelings, with the events which cause these thoughts and feelings.

Looking at the thoughts patterns and feelings which we experience repeatedly, these thoughts can begin to change, by take a conscious observation of those situations realistically, so that they do not result in negative emotions, and cycles of harmful behaviours.

Cognitive Behavioural therapy is known to be highly successful, showing its effectiveness in the treatment of anxiety, depression, addiction and other conditions.

The approaches which Cognitive Behavioural therapy uses, are listed below:

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
  • Dialectical Behavioural Therapy
  • Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
  • Functional Analytic Psychotherapy

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